Evaluation of the GeneSoC rapid quantitative PCR system for Treponema pallidum detection.

The incidence of syphilis, caused by Treponema pallidum (TP), is increasing worldwide. Nucleic acid amplification tests, including quantitative PCR (qPCR), are valuable for diagnosing primary syphilis, particularly using ulcer/lesion swabs. Recent studies have also shown the promising diagnostic performance of nucleic acid amplification tests using saliva.

Emergence of high-level penicillin-resistant Neisseria meningitidis harboring ROB-1-type β-lactamase gene in Japan.

While antimicrobial resistance in Neisseria meningitidis, the causative agent for invasive meningococcal disease (IMD), is rare, some meningococcal isolates in Japan were resistant to ciprofloxacin and penicillin (PCG). Among 290 meningococci isolated from 2003 to 2020 in Japan, four PCG resistant (PCG) meningococci were found but showed the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) with 0.5 μg/mL at a maximum due to mutation in penA gene that encodes penicillin-binding protein 2.

Emergence of Ceftriaxone-Resistant Neisseria gonorrhoeae Through Horizontal Gene Transfer Among Neisseria Species.

Background: It has been suggested that the emergence of ceftriaxone-resistant strains of Neisseria gonorrhoeae involves the incorporation of the penA gene from commensal Neisseria spp that are resistant to ceftriaxone. However, the mechanism of this mosaic penA generation is unknown.

Methods: We obtained 10 strains of commensal Neisseria spp showing ceftriaxone minimum inhibitory concentration ≥0.

Prospective evaluation of non-invasive saliva specimens for the diagnosis of syphilis and molecular surveillance of .

The promising diagnostic performance of molecular testing for syphilis using saliva and urine samples has been reported; however, further evaluation of its possible application for diagnosis and molecular surveillance is required. In addition, the development of a rapid and easy-to-perform molecular test for syphilis is important for its use in the clinical setting. We comprehensively evaluated the diagnostic and surveillance performance of two novel loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) assays using saliva and urine samples.

Transmission of global clones of NDM-producing Enterobacterales and interspecies spread of IncX3 plasmid harbouring bla in Tokyo.

Objective: The aim of this study is to characterise the molecular characteristics of NDM-producing Enterobacterales, which have been on the increase in recent years in Japan, where IMP-producing bacteria are dominant among carbapenemase-producing Enterobacterales.

Methods: We collected 21 strains of NDM-producing Enterobacterales detected between 2015 and 2022 at five hospitals in Tokyo and performed illumina whole genome sequencing. For the seven selected strains, nanopore long-read sequencing was also performed to characterise the plasmids harbouring bla.

Accurate Identification of Klebsiella variicola by MALDI-TOF Mass Spectrometry in Clinical Microbiology Laboratories.

Klebsiella variicola is a pathogen that is increasingly recognized as being associated with human infections, but the methods available to clinical microbiology laboratories for accurate identification are limited. In this study, we assessed the accuracy of identification of by matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization-time of flight (MALDI-TOF) mass spectrometry using genetic identification with multiplex PCR as the reference method. Antimicrobial susceptibilities and virulence of strains were also investigated.

Aureobasidium melanigenum catheter-related bloodstream infection: a case report.

Background: Aureobasidium melanigenum is a ubiquitous dematiaceous fungus that rarely causes invasive human infections. Here, we present a case of Aureobasidium melanigenum bloodstream infection in a 20-year-old man with long-term catheter use.

Case Presentation: A 20-year-old man receiving home care with severe disabilities due to cerebral palsy and short bowel syndrome, resulting in long-term central venous catheter use, was referred to our hospital with a fever.

Human abdominal abscess caused by Necropsobacter rosorum and tips for its identification: A case report.

Necropsobacter rosorum is a gram-negative facultative anaerobe, which was reclassified from the family Pasteurellaceae in 2011. It has been detected in the gastrointestinal and respiratory tracts of mammals; however, reports of infection in humans are scarce. We report a case of an abdominal abscess in which N.

Genetic Environment Surrounding in Clinical Isolates of Shewanella algae Clade and Enhanced Expression of in a Carbapenem-Resistant Isolate.

Although spp. are most frequently isolated from marine environments; more rarely, they have been implicated in human infections. spp.

First human case of catheter-related blood stream infection caused by Staphylococcus schleiferi subspecies coagulans: a case report and literature review.

Background: Staphylococcus schleiferi is a gram-positive pathogenic coccus which causes canine skin and ear infections. Only four cases of human infection caused by Staphylococcus schleiferi subspecies coagulans have been reported. Herein, we present the first case of catheter-related bloodstream infection caused by S.

Redox-responsive functionalized hydrogel marble for the generation of cellular spheroids.

Liquid marbles (LMs) have recently shown a great promise as microbioreactors to construct self-supported aqueous compartments for chemical and biological reactions. However, the evaporation of the inner aqueous liquid core has limited their application, especially in studying cellular functions. Hydrogels are promising scaffolds that provide a spatial environment suitable for three-dimensional cell culture.

Liquid Marbles as an Easy-to-Handle Compartment for Cell-Free Synthesis and In Situ Immobilization of Recombinant Proteins.

Liquid marble (LM), a self-standing micro-scale aqueous droplet, emerges as a micro-bioreactor in biological applications. Herein, the potential of LM as media for cell-free synthesis and simultaneous immobilization of recombinant proteins is explored. Initially, formation of hydrogel marble (HM) by using an enzymatic disulfide-based hydrogelation technique is confirmed by incorporating three components, horseradish peroxidase (HRP), a tetra-thiolated poly(ethylene glycol) derivative, and glycyl-L-tyrosine, in LM.

Mycobacterium heckeshornense lung infection diagnosed by matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization-time of flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS).

Identification of microorganisms by matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization-time of flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS) has been widely accepted. However, the significance of MALDI-TOF MS for identifying mycobacteria, particularly rare nontuberculous mycobacteria, has not been established. M.

Antimicrobial susceptibility testing of rapidly growing mycobacteria isolated in Japan.

Background: Difficult-to-treat infections caused by rapidly growing mycobacteria (RGM) are increasingly observed in clinical settings. However, studies on antimicrobial susceptibilities and effective treatments against RGM in Japan are limited.

Methods: We conducted susceptibility testing of potential antimicrobial agents, including tigecycline and tebipenem, against RGM.